Pusan National University Scholarships for International Students

Pusan National University (PNU) is one of South Korea’s national universities. It is located in the country’s second-largest city, Busan. As of 2021, the university is home to approximately 37,000 students and 3,000 professors.

Pusan National University aims to become a global research-oriented university in the future. With established ties with 58 countries around the world, the school is very welcoming towards international students. The university allocates a significant percentage of its budget towards international students, and below is a list of all scholarships Pusan National University has to offer them.

Related Scholarships

Pusan National University Scholarships

Undergraduate Scholarships at Pusan National University

1. Scholarship for New/Transfer Undergraduate Students

  • Scholarship Amount: 30% to 100% tuition fee waiver for the first semester
  • Eligibility Criteria: must have achieved a TOPIK Level 4 and above
  • Scholarship Link

Pusan National University funds the Scholarship for New/Transfer Undergraduate Students. To promote the Korean language, the university offers partial to full discounts to incoming undergraduate students with excellent Korean language skills. This will be evaluated by TOPIK or the Test of Proficiency in Korean.

The scholarship amount will depend on the TOPIK test results submitted as part of your admission requirements. Generally, those with TOPIK Level 4 will be getting a 30% waiver, TOPIK Level 5 a 70% waiver, and a TOPIK Level 6 a 100% waiver, though this can be subject to change.

You do not need to submit a separate application for this scholarship. Once you apply for admissions to PNU, they will be evaluating your TOPIK to see if you are qualified for the tuition fee waiver. This will then be automatically applied to your first semester’s tuition fee balance.

2. PNU Scholarship for International Undergraduates

  • Scholarship Amount: 30% to 100% tuition fee waiver for the next semester
  • Eligibility Criteria
    • must have excellent Korean language skills (i.e., TOPIK Level 4+) or English language skills (e.g., TOEFL 550+, IELTS 5.5+, TOEIC 675+) depending on your department’s language of instruction
    • must have achieved a minimum GPA of 2.5/4.5
    • should have completed at least 12 credits the previous semester
  • Scholarship Link

This Pusan National University scholarship is awarded to those with exemplary academic performance. Like the previous scholarship, this scholarship does not need a separate application. Everyone who meets the eligibility criteria will be considered for the scholarship, though the amount you receive will vary.

Depending on your latest GPA, you will be receiving either a 30%, 70%, or 100% tuition fee waiver. This tuition fee reduction will be automatically applied for your next semester and is renewable for the entire standard study period.

3. TOPIK Scholarship for International Undergraduates

  • Scholarship Amount: KRW 400,000
  • Eligibility Criteria
    • must have achieved a TOPIK Level 4 or above after admission to Pusan National University
    • must have a minimum GPA of 2.5/4.5 the previous semester
  • Scholarship Link

Pusan National University also funds the TOPIK Scholarship for International Undergraduates. It serves as an incentive for undergraduate students to learn and develop their Korean language skills while pursuing their undergraduate degrees. You will receive KRW 400,000 each time you level up. You can receive a maximum amount of KRW 1,200,000 if you achieve TOPIK Levels 4 to 6 within the standard study period.

To apply for the scholarship, you must submit your TOPIK report card/s directly to the International Office. They will then evaluate your results to see if you’re qualified for the scholarship. If so, the scholarship amount will be sent directly to a bank account registered under your name.

Postgraduate Scholarships at Pusan National University

1. First-Year Scholarship for International Graduate Students

  • Scholarship Amount: partial to full tuition waivers for the first semester
  • Eligibility Criteria: must be an incoming postgraduate student at Pusan National University
  • Scholarship Link

The First-Year Scholarship for International Graduate Students is an entrance scholarship at Pusan National University offered to incoming postgraduate students. This scholarship does not need a separate application—you will automatically be considered during the admissions period and given the scholarship if you fit all eligibility criteria.

There are two kinds of this scholarship available. The first kind is for those who obtained their undergraduate degree from PNU and are now enrolling for a postgraduate degree. They will be receiving a full tuition fee discount for their first semester.

The second type, on the other hand, is for new postgraduate students at PNU with either excellent Korean or English language skills. This requirement will depend on their department’s language of instruction. To qualify for the second type, you must have a TOPIK Level 4 (Korean), or a TOEFL 550, IELTS 5.5, or TOEIC 675 (English) at the very least. The amount you receive will depend on your test results.

If qualified for either of these, the tuition fee reduction will be applied automatically to your first semester.

2. International Student Scholarship for International Graduate Students

  • Scholarship Amount: partial tuition fee reduction
  • Eligibility Criteria
    • must be a postgraduate international student
    • must have an excellent academic performance
  • Scholarship Link

The International Student Scholarship at Pusan National University is awarded to postgraduate students who have achieved excellent marks. The tuition fee reduction will be automatically applied for the next semester and can be renewed for the entire standard duration of your postgraduate program.

The minimum GPA required for the scholarship is generally 3.7/4.5. However, the university will make exceptions, especially for particularly difficult departments. Law students have required a minimum of 2.3/4.5 while medicine students are required at least a 2.5/4.5. Other graduate students with a minimum of 3.0/4.5 may also be selected for the scholarship depending on the university’s budget. Like the other scholarships, the amount you receive will depend on your grades and is also subject to change every semester.

3. Scholarships for Teaching Assistants & Research Assistants

  • Scholarship Amount: partial tuition fee waiver
  • Eligibility Criteria
    • must have an excellent academic performance
    • must work the minimum number of hours as a teaching assistant or research assistant per semester
  • Scholarship Link

This scholarship at Pusan National University is for graduate students who wish to work part-time as a teaching assistant or research assistant. To qualify for the position and the scholarship, you must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 if you’re a medicine major, a GPA of 2.3 if you’re a law major, or a GPA of 3.0 for any other major.

Teaching assistants will be required to work 230 hours or more in a semester and will be receiving a tuition fee reduction of KRW 1,500,000. Research assistants, on the other hand, will be required to work at least 170 hours and will be receiving a KRW 1,000,000 reduction. The working dates and hours will be discussed with your assigned departments.

To apply for the positions and the scholarship, you must wait for a recruitment announcement in your department.

 

I hope that this article was helpful. If you are interested, visit the Korea Scholarships Page!